I was a supporter of the desire, in my section of Nigeria, to leave the federation because it was treated very badly with something that was called genocide in those days. Chinua Achebe badlycallday Change image and share on social
The only thing we have learnt from experience is that we learn nothing from experience. Chinua Achebe experiencelearnthing Change image and share on social
When the British came to Ibo land, for instance, at the beginning of the 20th century, and defeated the men in pitched battles in different places, and set up their administrations, the men surrendered. And it was the women who led the first revolt. Chinua Achebe 20thadministrationbattle share on social
They have not always elected the best leaders, particularly after a long period in which they have not used this facility of free election. You tend to lose the habit. Chinua Achebe electelectionfacility Change image and share on social
The people you see in Nigeria today have always lived as neighbors in the same space for as long as we can remember. So it's a matter of settling down, lowering the rhetoric, the level of hostility in the rhetoric is too high. Chinua Achebe highhostilitylevel share on social
Once a novel gets going and I know it is viable, I don't then worry about plot or themes. These things will come in almost automatically because the characters are now pulling the story. Chinua Achebe automaticallycharacterplot Change image and share on social
I liked Yeats! That wild Irishman. I really loved his love of language, his flow. His chaotic ideas seemed to me just the right thing for a poet. Passion! He was always on the right side. He may be wrongheaded, but his heart was always on the right side. He wrote beautiful poetry. Chinua Achebe beautifulchaoticflow share on social
Once you allow yourself to identify with the people in a story, then you might begin to see yourself in that story even if on the surface it's far removed from your situation. This is what I try to tell my students: this is one great thing that literature can do - it can make us identify with situations and people far away. Chinua Achebe begingreatidentify share on social
The damage done in one year can sometimes take ten or twenty years to repair. Chinua Achebe damagerepairten Change image and share on social
Each of my books is different. Deliberately... I wanted to create my society, my people, in their fullness. Chinua Achebe bookcreatedeliberately Change image and share on social